Comments on: Random notes on Singapore

By: Jeung

Jeung — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:55:56 +0000

singapore need foreigners (skilled workers) to boost the country but what i dont understand there are so many people from china work in Spore & most of them they are unskilled people!! They work as waitress, butchers etc & spitting anywhere they like etc!! What has happened to Singapore??

By: Surya

Surya — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 17:39:02 +0000

Good to see you here again, Pramod. Hope you are having a good time in Singapore!

By: Pramod

Pramod — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:37:13 +0000

Hey, didn’t realise that you were back to blogging.

Its been a year for me now in Singapore – one of the foreign faces you might have seen :-)
About Singapore – this place owes its existence to global trade, and no one community can actually claim to be THE local, I guess what the govt. is doing makes sense – to keep the economy growing. And I think to an extent the approach is succeeding. Yes in 20 years, it might be apt to call it Indiapore, but it will still be Singapore. and in another 20 years from that it could be anotherpore – but still be Singapore!

Do let me know if you are visiting here next. Perhaps I can join you for a cup of coffee as well!

By: Dinesh

Dinesh — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 07:20:02 +0000

Not denying the huge influx of foreigners into Singapore in the recent past..but still, your vantage point may have skewed your observation? Millenia Tower/Suntec area houses MNCs/FIs with more than average “Ang-Moh” population.

By: Surya

Surya — Wed, 30 May 2007 07:11:24 +0000

sadly, SG has never been known to do it..

By: Riot

Riot — Tue, 29 May 2007 02:22:15 +0000

I feel a bad immigration policy is a recipe for radical right wingism and xenophobia. It is very necessary to involve the public in any kind of policy formulaton.

By: Surya

Surya — Sat, 26 May 2007 20:02:25 +0000

True, and I think it would def be good for India to have foreign talent too..

But the proportions in Singapore are kinda alarming.

By: Pradeep

Pradeep — Sat, 26 May 2007 19:52:17 +0000

A good point… The example of the US comes to my mind. One way, the US is run by the best brains in the world, not all of them Americans. They welcome talent, be it from any country… Probably Singapore is following that example?

And, a lessone here for India?

By: Surya

Surya — Sat, 26 May 2007 16:54:06 +0000

Edge, Thanks for your comment. I agree with your reasons. But seems kinda odd to have a gov-supported policy to change a country’s demography so drastically. As you say, changing Singapore to “Indiapore” – is that a desirable outcome?

As for the first reason, I think a lot of capable Singaporeans have left Singapore, which is probably why they need to depend on foreigners. Shouldn’t getting them back (and not by threats) be the first course of action?

By: Edge

Edge — Sat, 26 May 2007 16:22:35 +0000

Singapore desperatly needs foreigners for many reasons, the 2 most evident are:
1-to support the growing international financial hub. The local talent is just to weak to handle international matters, that’s why we ,’ang-mos’, come here with huge sallaries to work for people like Merryl-Lynch, ING and other mega-companies and the locals receive only 2500 – 3000 SGD per month.
2-the Singaporean population the quickly decreasing. singapore needs to increase 50% its population by 2050 otherwise it will become an old country and the economic system will fall; for this many Asians are coming here to ‘have babies’ and reasonable jobs, and I would say the Indians are the responsible for the future of Singapore. Studies estimates that in 20 years Singapore will be ruled by today’s Indians sons and daughters, today they are already 15% of the foreign population here.

I bet that in a few decades, Singapore can then change its name to ‘Indiapore’ :-)